Drawn In
by Shellie Rae
Summary: Spike runs into a familiar face from his past. This story was inspired by the quote: "I was actually at Woodstock. That was a weird gig. I fed off a flower person and I spent the next six hours watching my hand move." (set mid-season 4)
1. Chapter 1

It was just another normal day in Sunnydale. Which means the usual demons, vampires, and other evil monsters that make up the day-to-day life of a slayer. Tonight, Buffy was hanging out at the Bronze with her friends, hoping that no apocalyptic demons would show up in the next few hours and ruin their fun evening. There was a new band playing, and the room was packed with people, all glad it was a weekend. Xander danced lamely by himself and yelled to the group, who were sitting around a table, to come join him.   
  
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Spike had just left the butcher's shop and was wandering around the cemetery when he got a strange feeling. He turned around to see if someone was following him, but saw no one. He listened for the sonar-loud heartbeat of an unsuspecting passerby, but the cemetery was quiet. Still, the feeling bothered him, and he began walking, though he didn't know what he expected to find.   
  
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At the Bronze, the group sat comfortably around their table discussing a recent exam they hadn't done too well on. Buffy glanced uneasily over the crowd of dancers, most of whom she didn't know. Willow noticed her nervousness. "No evil lurking today, Buff?" she asked, looking hopeful.   
  
Buffy shrugged. "Not that I'm hoping to find any," she said, still searching the crowd, "but nothing very Hellmouth-y has gone on lately, so I should be ready for when it does, right? …oh!" she finished disappointedly. They all followed her gaze to see what had caused the sudden exclamation. They shared a slightly annoyed look when they realized who had just strolled in the door. Riley looked concerned as Buffy sighed, rolled her eyes, got up from her cozy place by his side, and went to find out what the peroxide-blonde vampire was up to.   
  
If they had been anywhere else she would have just punched him in the face, but she didn't feel like attracting unneeded attention. "Spike, not that I care, but why are you here?" She wanted to get this over with as fast as possible.   
  
He raised his eyebrows. "What, aren't I allowed to hang out with my friends?" he said sarcastically.   
  
She glanced back to the table where Riley and the other watched them curiously, then focused her attention back on Spike. "You don't have friends" she reminded him "and I don't have time for this." He didn't respond. "I'm trying to have fun. And for that to happen, you need to be somewhere that's away." When she glanced up him, she realized she'd lost his attention a while ago. She stared at him a little angrily for a moment before turning around towards the dance floor to see what he was staring at.   
  
She scanned the crowd of teenagers dancing in the sporadically flashing lights, until she noticed two girls dancing near the stage, highlighted by the strobe light behind them. They were dressed rather revealingly, and had gathered a small mob of the male partygoers. Buffy didn't have to wonder if they were why she couldn't keep Spike's attention. Spike glanced back at Buffy for a moment and grinned. "Shows what you know." She scrunched her eyebrows together disapprovingly, willing him to just leave. His jaw tightened. "Sod off." They glared at each other for just a moment before she decided it was a lost cause and marched away.   
  
Spike took this opportunity to take a better look at the two girls. The blonde had wavy hair that was a little past her shoulders, and her large, bright eyes stood out in her light complexion and soft features. She wore a black shirt, a dark red print, knee-length skirt, black hose, and heels. The brunette was a few inches taller, with a naturally dark complexion. Her hair was shoulder-length, very straight, with an almost reddish tint to it She had noble-looking features and wide, dark brown eyes. She wore a pale pink shirt with spaghetti straps, a black skirt, and black knee-high boots. They were clearly enjoying the attention they had gathered, but they seemed more to flaunt themselves at the men rather than flirt with any of them in particular.   
  
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Buffy was annoyed, but she knew there was nothing she could do to get rid of the harmless vampire without causing a scene. She thought about the two girls Spike had gone after, and had a scary memory of when she and Faith had pulled the same trick a few years earlier. True, it was fun to torment the guys like that, but it got old fast.   
  
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Spike had begun to make his way through the crowd toward the small group of eager fans the two girls had accumulated. The one with blonde hair suddenly turned and looked straight at him, smiling faintly, and both were caught off guard for an short instant. She seemed flustered and focused her attentions back on the guys dancing around her and her friend. Intrigued by this strange connection, Spike leaned over to ask a man standing next to him who was staring at the girls also. "Who are they?" He didn't get an answer, so he elbowed the man. "Do you know?"   
  
Neither of the men dared to avert their stares; the man just swallowed hard and blinked a few times to try and focus his thoughts. "They… I heard they were new around here," he stuttered, nervous under Spike's fierce stare. Barely pausing to glare at the man for not being more helpful, Spike resumed pushing his way through the crowd. The brunette was now dancing rather closely with a muscular man with light brown hair. He craned his neck to see if the blonde was taken now, too. When he got close enough to get a clear view of her, he froze in his tracks. Her light, wavy hair caught the flashing lights in spectacular ways, and she seemed to blend the music to herself and make it a part of her attitude. Just when he thought he had gained control of his senses, she turned her head and aimed a lazy, sideways grin right at him for a too-short moment.   
  
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On her way back to the table, Buffy glanced again at the dance floor, trying to pinpoint what had been causing her strange, apprehensive feelings. Something caught her eye and she looked a second time. There was something definitely odd about the round security mirror on the wall above her, and she stared hard at it for a minute. Her eyes got wide as she glanced back from the crowd to the mirror and back. She swallowed hard and hurried back to the table where her friends waited.   
  
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Despite some surprised and offended looks from some of the other men, Spike pushed his way towards these mysterious girls. A short, muscular boy had edged up to the blonde and was dancing extremely close behind her. Her friend noticed Spike's arrival, and the two girls shared a look. The blonde didn't turn to look at Spike, but instead kept dancing with the boy, obviously ignoring Spike.   
  
Not appreciating the other boy's presence, Spike pushed through the crowd until he was standing next to the two. The boy gave Spike a arrogant grin, and was surprised to find himself a second later flat on his back on the floor. The girls tried to conceal their laughter. Spike, stepped up to the blonde and put his hand around her waist. She looked a little surprised by his directness, but she let him pull her close to his chest. Her friend was helping the boy up off the floor, blocking his view of her and Spike. The blonde took this opportunity to lean close to Spike and whispered to him, "wait for us outside." She let her fingers trail down the flap of his coat as she backed away from him.   
  
Spike smiled slightly, then stepped away, with a mischievous look in his eye. The boy was now on his feet again, rubbing the back of his head. The two girls acted sympathetic and worried, and the boy clearly enjoyed their attention. Spike chuckled to himself, and headed to the door.   
  
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Buffy rushed up to the table and began searching through her bag. Her friends watched her, curious. "Ah-hah" she said, and pulled a mirror from the bag. She held it up and stared hard at it as her eyes got even bigger. She glanced behind her again at the dancers, and took a deep breath. Everyone looked puzzled.   
  
Willow finally spoke up. "Buffy, what is it!?!"   
  
"Willow come here" she answered, not moving. Willow glanced at the others before getting up to stand beside her friend. She looked over Buffy's shoulder into the mirror, not sure at first what she was looking for. After a moment, her expression changed to one of confusion, and she glanced behind them, then back at the mirror.   
  
The casual observer wouldn't have thought twice about the large amount of people at the Bronze that evening. But the view from the mirror was a little different. Including Xander, there were less than a dozen people in various places around the room.   
  
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Buffy and the gang had decided to tell Giles about what was going on before trying anything drastic, so they got Xander and left as quietly as possible. People were still arriving, but the group just walked out, trying not to be noticed. As they got outside, they let out one huge sigh of relief.   
  
In their haste to get somewhere safe, not one saw Spike standing in the alley, watching as they left. 


	2. Chapter 2

Inside, the two girls were still full of energy, but had stuck close to the boy that Spike had attacked earlier. Finally, the blonde turned and held out her hand toward her friend to get her attention. "Ready to go?" she asked softly.   
  
The brunette tilted her head slightly, smiling. "Of course." She glanced around for a second, and grabbed the boy's arm. The blonde moved beside him and took his other arm. Those remaining looked a little frustrated as the threesome made their way out the door.   
  
  
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Spike watched silently from the alley as the two girls stepped outside with their catch. The kid obviously thought he had cashed in big as they led him into the alley, and Spike backed farther into the darkness so as not to interrupt. The brunette stood in front of the boy, and rested her hands on his chest. She worked her mouth over his ear, and he looked slightly surprised, but lifted one hand to her shoulder. The blonde stood close behind him and ran her hands up his arms. She smiled to herself, and wrapped one arm around his waist, while she rubbed her foot against the back of his leg.   
  
Without warning, the brunette latched on to the boy's neck with her suddenly-sharp teeth. Instantly the blonde's face shifted also and she bit roughly into the other side of the boy's neck as he gasped in pain and surprise.   
  
Now in shock, the boy didn't attempt to fight back, and just stood there, pathetically wheezing, as they fed. After a moment his legs gave way and he slumped a little. The blonde still had her arm around his waist, and she held him up until they had drained every last drop. Then she let him fall, and the girls stood still for a moment, eyes closed. After a moment, their faces faded back so they looked normal.   
  
The blonde turned looked hard into the blackness where Spike had watched all this take place. She found him easily, and made her way towards him as the brunette walked back out of the alley, looking around her carefully.   
  
Spike gazed at her, not sure of how to begin. Luckily, she spoke first. "Hi. Sorry we didn't save you any" she gestured towards the dead boy's slumped body. She turned back around and smiled at him. "I'm Tabitha, everyone calls me Tabby."   
  
They stood still, about a foot apart. He looked at her for a moment, before speaking. "Tabitha," he repeated. "It's cute." Then he gestured toward himself, "the name's Spike." She opened her mouth to speak, but they were interrupted.   
  
"Tabby!" her friend shouted from the end of the alley "are you ready to go?"   
  
Tabitha smiled apologetically at Spike. "That's Annabel." She didn't turn away from Spike. "Yeah, we're coming!" she yelled in response. Spike stepped past her and turned, offering his arm. Her eyes lit up and she grinned as she accepted. They walked out of the alleyway, past the lifeless body they had tossed aside, and join Annabel, who was now with the light-haired man she had been dancing with before. The two girls shared a smile and the four walked down the street from the Bronze.   
  
  
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Giles was reading in the back room of the store when the gang rushed in, all talking at once. He stood up and tried to understand their confusing story.   
  
"I noticed something was weird the whole time," Buffy was saying as they walked in.   
  
"There were a lot of people that none of us had seen before," Riley reminded them.   
  
"And Spike showed, too," Xander added. Giles gazed at them blankly as they jabbered on.   
  
"So Buffy got an idea, and she looked in the mirror…" Willow nodded towards her.   
  
"And she didn't see anything," Anya finished.   
  
Buffy noticed the strange look Giles gave Anya, and tried to clarify. "But there were lots of people dancing, including poor Xander here," she patted his shoulder.   
  
Xander shook his head, "I was dancing with death." He laughed at his own joke.   
  
Buffy gave him a look, then continued. "And only a few people showed up when I looked in the mirror." Giles began to understand. Buffy continued. "The point is that there's a whole lot of vampires at the Bronze tonight. We can't just let them take over like this! So what do we do?"   
  
Giles took off his glasses and sat against the edge of the table. "W- obviously there is nothing we can do tonight." They all stared at him. "From- from what you tell me, there are too many …for us to take on …right now. We are clearly not prepared… for s- something of this …large of proportions."   
  
  
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"…so in the morning, all the jewels are gone, and now the guard is on our team; I can just see the moron trying to tell the police about the robbers," Annabel told the men, as Tabitha giggled hysterically. "And the guard is like 'What girls? There were no girls here last night!' It was too easy!"   
  
Spike and his new friends had walked through Sunnydale for quite a while, trading stories, joking and laughing. Annabel had done most of the talking, and a lot of giggling. So far Spike had gained that Tabitha and Annabel were, in fact, new to Sunnydale, and it was obvious they had been hanging out together for quite a while. They had been very impressed to find out that he had faced the Slayer and was still there to tell them about it.   
  
The group was now outside one of the cemeteries, and Annabel turned to Tabitha and raised her eyebrows. "Well bud… see ya tomorrow?"   
  
Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Sure. Later!" They smiled, and Annabel turned and walked away with the light-haired man.   
  
Spike smiled almost greedily at Tabitha. He put his hands on her waist, and she rested her hands on his upper arms, both with half-closed eyes. He moved to kiss her, but she turned her face, and ran her lips lightly across his cheek. Spike to wrapped his arms around her back tightly and buried his face in her hair.   
  
  
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Back at the Bronze, the party was still going strong. The music blared and the lights flashed wildly over the dancers. Suddenly, there was a commotion from the middle of the crowd, and everyone turned to see what was going on. A girl was gasping for air as the boy she had been dancing with bit hard on her neck. Instead of helping her, everyone watched in fascination. Then two more joined in the meal. When she finally collapsed, they dragged her to a table, then went back to their dancing.   
  
  
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Tabitha stood in front of a large mausoleum and gave Spike an evil grin. Spike looked pleasantly surprised at her decision. They pulled open the heavy door and stepped into the black room. Tabitha slowly pushed the heavy door close as Spike walked around the room. He found his cigarette lighter and lit the lamps around the walls, then turned around to survey the room. There were plaques in the walls with old, worn writing, and small stained-glass windows near the ceiling. In the center of the floor were three large, stone vaults. Tabitha gazed around the room in awe.   
  
Spike noticed her expression. "Not too shabby" he remarked. He sat on the vault in the middle of the room. She walked up to him slowly, still with an ornery grin on her face. When she got close, he grabbed her playfully and pulled her towards him. She laughed as they fell backwards onto the cold concrete of the vault's lid.   
  
He started to sit up, but Tabitha pushed him down flat on his back and straddled his stomach. He put one arm around her back and leaned up to kiss her neck.   
  
  
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The few remaining humans at the Bronze had panicked when they saw what happened to the girl. Instead of escaping, they had succeeded in making themselves very obvious targets. One had been tied to the stair rail, and the rest lay motionless around the edges of the dance floor. Everyone was still dancing in the sporadically flashing lights, and still more were steaming in through the door.   
  
  
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In the quiet mausoleum, Spike lay on his back on the vault, his clothes somewhat disheveled, his eyes closed. A soft scraping sound caught his attention. His eyes flew open. He quickly sat up and his eyes searched the room, until he noticed Tabitha quietly pulling open the heavy door. He relaxed a little as he watched her.   
  
"Something the matter, pet?" His voice startled her and she whirled around.   
  
Instantly she abandoned the door and smiled at him innocently. "What do you mean?"   
  
He walked over to her and shook his head, not answering. He put his arm around her back and started to lead her away from the door, but noticed something and looked down at her feet. "You didn't take your shoes off" he chuckled.   
  
"So, you didn't take your coat off," she replied. He blinked, and they stared at each other, expressionless, for a moment.   
  
Suddenly he picked her up and spun around, causing her to shriek, then laugh. When he set her down they were both smiling. She hit him gently in the arm. He walked forward, forcing her to back up until she stopped at the vault. He lifted her up to sit on top of the vault. Tabitha wrapped her legs around his waist, under his long coat, and he stepped closer still. He ran his hands up her legs until he could see the pale skin of her thighs above her stockings.   
  
  
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Xander carried a stack of books to the table where the rest of the gang was researching.   
  
Willow slammed shut the book in front of her, frustrated. "Nothing!" she looked to the others. "How are we supposed to be able to stop this if we don't know what's causing it, and- and how do we figure out what's causing it if we don't even know what "it" is?"   
  
Giles stood up, very tired looking. "We can't- not this way." They looked up at him. "You all should …should go home and get some rest. I'll contact you if -if I should come upon anything of- of significance." The gang looked disappointed, but gathered up their stuff to leave.   
  
"Okay," Buffy told everyone, "we'll meet back here tomorrow morning, and we'll… figure out how to stop whoever's causing this." Everyone looked skeptical.   
  
  
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From the balcony of the Bronze, you could survey everything going on below. Someone stood in the darkness by the handrail, most of their face hidden by the dark cloak they wore, unnoticed by everyone.   
  
With no one left to eat, the party was beginning to wind down, and small groups of people walked out. The person on the balcony smiled, gazing down at the mayhem. "Perfect." 


	3. Chapter 3

Annabel stuck her head around the doorframe. "A crypt?!? That's… kinky!" She giggled, and ducked back into the bathroom. The television was on, and the Venetian blinds were closed on the single window in the room, although one could still tell it was daylight outside.   
  
"I know…" Tabitha rolled her eyes. "It was …different." She sat cross-legged on the floor between two beds in a dark blue nightgown. She turned her attention back to the television remote, but Annabel didn't give up her teasing.   
  
"You're all smiley. What's with that?" Annabel lay on her stomach on one of the beds. She had on light gray flannel pajamas.   
  
"No I'm not," Tabitha insisted.   
  
Annabel picked up a pillow and tossed it at her. "Well, for starters, you didn't chop his head off," she began. Tabitha looked embarrassed. Annabel laughed, then continued. "And you didn't sneak off on him like you usually do." She crawled down off the bed to sit across from Tabitha. "And you didn't come home till almost sunrise. You haven't done that since… since…"   
  
"Since never?" Tabitha finished. "I know. Well, if it counts at all, I did try to sneak off, but he caught me."   
  
Annabel grinned and shook her head. "But…" she prompted.   
  
Tabitha laughed out loud. "I dunno! There's something about him." Annabel stared at her. "I know, it sounds cheesy. But you know what I mean? Like… like how he just came up to me when we were dancing, and shoved that kid? Now that was hilarious."   
  
They laughed at the thought. Annabel kicked at Tabitha, an evil grin in her eyes. "So it's not just that he's good in bed?" Tabitha made a face. "Oh, excuse me," Annabel continued, sarcastically, "he's good in a crypt!" Tabitha picked up the pillow and whacked her hard.   
  
  
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Vampires milled about in a large, candle-lit room. Someone entered, and the crowd parted, letting them through. It was the robed man that had been at the Bronze earlier. He stepped up to the front of the room and pulled back his hood, revealing his splotchy-looking skin and black eyes. He kneeled and bowed his head for a moment, then stood. "Everything is working out as planned," he informed in a gruff voice. "Just as you asked." He smiled.   
  
  
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Now that it was daylight, the party at the Bronze was long over. There was still a body chained to the stairs and a few tossed carelessly on tables, and medics carried out a stretcher with a body bag. A few police officers stood around, but there was no witnesses to interview.   
  
  
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Loud music and voices mixed together in the background. Tabitha lay unconscious in a small tent of some sort. Her hair looks much longer, with flowers woven in, and she wore a bright green dress, overall very hippie-looking. A hand, with long, dark nails, reached out and strokes her forehead gently. "She's looking, climbing…" a female voice whispered as Tabitha began to stir, "…she's coming to play with us!"   
  
  
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Tabitha's eyes flashed open and she sat straight up. She realized that she was in her bed at the motel, Annabel still sound asleep. Tabitha's hands shook as she pushed the hair out of her face and glanced around the room.   
  
  
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The gang had all come back to Giles' as planned, and now stood listening to the results of his research. "…there are a- also many hexes, curses, things of …of that nature," he explained, "which could account for …for why it began so …suddenly." They stared at him blankly, and he continued. "Nothing I have found, not yet… at least, is made to result in this sort of …of brash group activities, but I'm sure if we keep looking, we'll …eventually figure it out."   
  
Xander, as usual, was the first to speak up. "So basically, you're saying it could be some weird spell, it could be the vamp family reunion, or it could just be a coincidence?"   
  
Giles looked frustrated. "We can't know that for sure …yet- but if it is a spell, it makes one wonder why, and by whom, it is being caused." His brow creased in thought.   
  
  
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The four vampires had become a team, and each night was spent terrorizing the streets of Sunnydale. Lately, Spike hadn't needed to visit the butcher shop for his meals. He just let the girls have the first bite, then there was nothing left to cause pain to his head when he finished off the meal. It was the perfect setup.   
  
They had just finished off a couple they had found taking a romantic moonlight stroll in the park. It was interesting how hard the boy had tried to be brave in front of his girlfriend. At first, that is. Annabel found it particularly humorous how he screamed like a baby when she gnawed on his fingers with her sharp teeth.   
  
The two girls were an excellent team. Neither one was quite all there, but together, they were unstoppable. It was easy to see how they'd made it this long. Spike thought back to when   
  
The girls were kneeled on the ground, where they had finished off the last of the meal. Both were still in game face. Annabel studied a small stain of blood on the knee of her light-colored pants. "Damn. I just washed these." She smirked. "We have to do this more often."   
  
Spike sat on a green wooden bench, and watched as Tabitha stepped away from the two motionless bodies. He tilted his head. "Come here, doll." She strode toward him slowly, still vamped out, licking the blood from her fingers. Her face shifted back as she sat down on his lap, and he took her hand and sucked the remaining blood off her pinky. She lifted her other hand to his neck, pushed his collar aside with her cold fingers, and softly below his jawbone, licking away the small spot of blood that accumulated.   
  
  
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In another cemetery, the Scoobies fought hard against the endless attack of vampires. Xander grabbed one by the arms, and Giles staked it in the back. A second later, two more vampires rushed out from behind a tree.   
  
Buffy kicked a vamp in the head, jumped on top of it, and dusted it. She was instantly grabbed from behind by another and flipped on her back. She looked incredulous as she jumped to her feet and poised for the attack. She rushed at her new attacker, and they rolled across the ground. Her stake rolled away and she punched the vamp in the face a few times. Suddenly it burst into a cloud of dust. Buffy sighed with relief, then saw Willow smiling down at her, holding a stake. "You okay?"   
  
"Yep, thanks Will." Willow helped Buffy to her feet, and they took a moment to look around at the chaos. Buffy looked back at her friend. "Well, at least we're getting lots of practice!"   
  
Another vampire ran up behind them and pushed Willow to the ground. Buffy shot her a sympathetic frown before turning to the vamp and punching it hard in the stomach.   
  
Giles stood up in the weed patch where he had been shoved. He stared to rush back to the battle, but something caught his attention. Deep in the shadows, someone stood, watching the fight. More specifically, watching Buffy. Suddenly it turned and looked right at Giles. It's black, hollow eyes sent a cold chill through him, and he stepped backwards in surprise. The creature didn't approach him. Instead, it watched him carefully for a moment, then turned and disappeared into the night. 


	4. Chapter 4

"That is so cool!" Tabitha exclaimed. She lay on her stomach across the foot of Spike's bed, and now she rolled on her side to face him. "Angelus is the most famous guy!!! Everybody's heard of him!" She shook her head in amazement. "So how long did you guys hang out?"   
  
He tilted his head back against the headboard. "Almost a century." He thought hard. "I don't remember exactly …bloke went and left us after he got all bloody cursed." She looked at him sadly as he spoke. "When we found him again, he had joined the Slayer's team. That was a joke." It made him angry to remember, so he changed the subject quickly. "So you don't remember your sire?"   
  
Tabitha looked down for a moment, then met his eyes. "I… I never met 'em." She paused. "I was so messed up, the only thing I remember is waking up a few days later …being very hungry …and confused…"   
  
"They didn't stick around to make sure you made it alright?" He looked incredulous. "You laid around for …maybe a few days, and they didn't bother to make sure-"   
  
"They just …left me there," she finally interrupted. "Whoever it was…" She gave him a fake smile, then looked down again. "Well, they did take me in some tent, so at least the sun wouldn't get me before I could even wake up. And… and it's not like anybody else was in any condition to help me. It was Woodstock."   
  
Spike startled, then caught himself. No, he thought to himself, no! There were hundreds of vampires at Woodstock. Yes, it could have been anyone. He realized she was staring at him.   
  
"Spike!" she was staring at him now. "What it is?"   
  
He thought fast. "That's terrible!" She looked down, and he continued. "I… I mean, a sire should teach you, guide you, make sure you know the ropes. Right?"   
  
She thought about that. "I guess that's kinda what I did for Annabel." She smiled faintly for a moment, then thought again about her own sire. "Maybe there was something they had to go do. Or maybe they were in trouble. Or…" he watched her carefully as she rambled, trying to justify this person she had never met. He thought back to when he had first seen her at the Bronze. Her dancing had caught his attention, her long hair had drawn him in, and her eyes held him. Maybe the reason he felt like he knew her was, well, because he knew her. His childe. The thought overwhelmed him; he had never contemplated being anyone's sire! He didn't even remember turning her. Or maybe he did. If he thought hard, he could almost imagine Dru holding the girl's head in her lap. She would be stroking the girl's forehead, waiting for her to awaken, looking up at him like a child with a new toy: "Can we keep her? I'll dress her up, and curl her hair -we'll have such fun!"   
  
Maybe he was just trying too hard. He couldn't explain what drew him to this girl, so he had grabbed the first explanation. And he didn't want to take blame for abandoning her if it had been some other thoughtless bloke that was probably already dust.   
  
Spike shook his head and brought his attention back to Tabitha. She had finished speaking, and now she rested her head against his leg, staring off into nowhere.   
  
  
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Despite the yellow police tape decorating the interior of the Bronze, the Scooby gang worked hard to prepare for the upcoming battle during daylight hours. Xander and Riley were on the balcony making a mess with wrenches and small containers of holy water. Giles, covered with protective padding, helped Buffy perfect her battle moves. Tara and Willow sat cross-legged on a table they had pulled to the center of the room, working on a spell to protect them all when they were fighting.   
  
Giles decided it was a good time to take a break from training, and they sat down and watched the girls working on the spell. Riley came down the stairs, leaving Xander desperately yanking on a pipe with his wrench.   
  
"You're all ready for tomorrow?" he asked as he sat down next to Buffy.   
  
She smiled at him. "As ready as I'll ever be."   
  
He rubbed her back reassuringly. "You'll do fine, don't you always?"   
  
"Yeah. But I'm not regretting that the Bronze has been closed this week. Lets us be more prepared," she said, gazing around the room at her friends. Riley nodded in agreement. Buffy brought her gaze back to Riley and Giles. "Whatever it is."   
  
  
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The vampires' second party at the Bronze was even wilder than the first. There were humans chained to tables and walls, not dead but just there in case someone wanted a snack. Everyone was dancing wildly to the hard rock music.   
  
Tabitha and Spike danced close to each other, although it was hard to tell in the packed-tight room. Annabel came over looking confused. Tabitha leaned towards her and shouted to her about the din, "What's wrong? Where's your man?"   
  
Annabel bit her lip and looked around again, confused. "I don't know," she yelled back, "He went to get us drinks…"   
  
Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by a loud crash from the stage at other end of the room, followed by a few screams. The three turned, along with everyone, to see what was going on. Everyone grew quiet for a moment when they saw Buffy standing on the stage with a torch in her hand. "Party's over," she said coolly, and lit a large pile of wood beside her. From that moment everything went crazy.   
  
The fire caused the sprinkler system to go off. The holy water that they had mixed into the sprinklers caused every vampire's skin to sizzle, and everyone panicked. Buffy jumped down off the stage and began killing vampires systematically. Her friends came out of nowhere and began to even the odds before the holy water ran out.   
  
"Bloody hell!" Spike covered his head with his coat, grabbed Tabitha the arm, and headed towards the door. She pulled free and turned back to grab Annabel so they could escape together, and Spike had no choice but to follow. Tabitha finally reached her friend and grabbed both of her hands. At the same instant, Riley stepped up behind Annabel and shoved his stake in her back. Tabitha jumped backwards, running into Spike, but when she watched her dearest friend crumbled into nothing, she began screaming hysterically. She clawed pathetically at what was now just a small pile of ashes, oblivious to the still-armed Riley. Spike snatched her off the floor and pushed her behind him, then grabbed the back of someone's shirt shoved them into Riley. Tabitha tried to push past Spike, and screamed uncontrollably when he picked her up and turned toward the door again. He clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her, kicking and screaming, out the door.   
  
  
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Spike ran hard down the street of Sunnydale, with Tabitha blindly in tow. When they were many blocks away from the Bronze, he headed into an alley and turned to face her.   
  
She stared at him with wide, terrified eyes. He took her trembling hands in his, not knowing what to say. He knew what it was like to lose a dear friend; he remembered how he and Drusilla had felt when they found out that Angelus had gone soft. But this… there was not even a comparison. Her eyes were wide, but she wasn't seeing him. It was no mystery what she did see. He pulled her close to his chest and wrapped his arms around her gently. After a moment he pulled back to look at her face again. She looked up at him, her cheeks wet with tears. "Ann…" she whispered, shaking her head. More tears ran down her face, and Spike wiped them away with his thumbs as she tried again to speak. "I… why did…." she sobbed.   
  
"Shhh," Spike tried to comfort her, but she was crying too hard now. Suddenly she wobbled, and weakly grabbed at his coat. He was prepared, and caught her as she fainted. Her head dropped against his arm, and he gazed at her sadly for a moment. He picked her up then, and headed in the direction of what he called his home.   
  
  
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In the darkness of the alley outside the Bronze, the demon in the dark cloak stood, watching Spike carry Tabitha away. It frowned, then glanced back at the Bronze. It seemed torn as to whether it should follow Spike or stay where it was. Finally it shook it's head and headed up the stairs that led to the backstage entrance of the Bronze.   
  
  
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Inside the Bronze, Buffy and the gang were making a serious turnover in the human to vampire ratio. The floor was covered, in most places, by a thin layer of dust. The sprinkler system had long run out, but the majority of the vampires still ran around in a blind panic. Buffy had a long sword, and she was clearly enjoying beheading the vampires one by one.   
  
Riley looked upset that Spike had gotten away with Tabitha, but that didn't slow down his progress. The rest of the gang worked there way from the edges of the room, and very few vampires got past any of them to make it out the door. 


	5. Chapter 5

Spike awoke just before sundown to Tabitha shaking him. After she had fainted the evening before, he had brought her to his very humble home and put her to bed. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching him.   
  
"Spike, I'm hungry," she informed him as he sat up.   
  
He rubbed her shoulder. "I know, love, but we have to wait till it's dark outside. Then we'll find you something nice to eat."   
  
For a moment he thought she was going to smile, but she stood up and turned away from him. "I… you don't have to come with me. I just wanted to tell you, so you wouldn't wake up and wonder where I was." He frowned at her back, then got out of bed and walked to her.   
  
He held her face so she had to look him in the eyes. "Be careful." She nodded, and went to stand by the door, peeking through a crack at the last rays of sunlight disappearing over the horizon. He got dressed quickly, glancing every few seconds to check if she was still there.   
  
She opened the door the first instant she could, and as she stepped out into the night, he suddenly decided it might be a good idea to follow her. He put his coat on and stepped outside, but she was nowhere to be seen. He grew angry with himself for not moving faster. His mind ran through every terrible thing that might happen to her. Or what she might do to herself. He snarled and kicked at a branch on the ground, sending it flying. Why was he so concerned? It bothered him that he worried so much about her. Anyone else, he would have saved himself and left them to be Slayer-bait. But something pulled him to this girl, her eyes spoke to him. Could it really be that she was his childe? If that was so, he couldn't loose her a second time.   
  
  
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Tabitha suspected that Spike would follow her, so she had hid until she saw him walk by. He looked especially upset, and she felt a twinge of regret for ditching him. She caught herself at that thought. She had tried to ditch him, that first night, but she couldn't. Any other guy, she would have walked away from without a second thought. Hell, she'd even beheaded a guy in the early 80's because he had cheated on her. She and Annabel had gotten a good laugh about that!   
  
Annabel… poor Annabel. Tabitha couldn't make herself contemplate life without Annabel. They had been best friends for …how many years now? 20? 30? They had done everything together. Everywhere they went, humans sighed with relief when they left and vampires begged them to say they would come back. Tabitha felt humbled thinking about some of the grander things they had done, most of which hadn't been her idea. Annabel was a schemer.   
  
Tabitha was deep in thought as she walked, and she didn't realize she was headed until she suddenly stopped and looked up. She was standing in front of the motel she and Annabel had shared since they came to Sunnydale. Her hands began to shake as she fished for the key and opened the door.   
  
She let the door swing open and bang against the wall. Staring in the darkness, she tried to pretend Annabel was asleep on the bed or hiding in the bathroom with her latest prize. Finally she forced herself to turn on the light and shut the door behind her. A fresh wave of pain hit her as she gazed at Annabel's clothes thrown here and there. Tabitha let herself slide down the door until she was crumpled on the floor, and she let herself surrender to her pain and anger.   
  
  
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Spike had gone to the butcher shop to get his meal, and had walked around Sunnydale for a few hours looking for Tabitha. No one he talked to had seen her, not considering that a majority of the vampires he usually saw around town had been taken out the night before at the Bronze, thanks to the Slayer and her friends.   
  
It began to rain, and Spike had become downright anxious. He had stopped by Willy's to get a bottle of vodka, which he hadn't had to do in a while. Lightning flashed in the distance, and he decided to head back home in hopes that she would do the same.   
  
The room was still empty when he returned. He was reassured by the red suitcase that now lay on the floor, which meant she had been there sometime while he was gone. He pulled up a chair near the door, intending to wait up until she showed, and she had to sooner or later, but the alcohol overruled his concern and he soon passed out.   
  
  
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A loud clap of thunder caused Spike to jerk awake and almost fall out of his chair. He glanced around the room. Tabitha was not there, the red suitcase still was. Glancing around the room, he noticed that the thick door was ajar. He looked to the clock, and instantly panicked when he saw it was seven in the morning. Disregarding his own safety, he squinted his eyes in anticipation of the morning sunlight and flung open the door. It took him a second to realize that it was still dark out, and he instantly felt stupid. It was raining and the wind was blowing hard.   
  
"Spike!" he heard. It sounded like Tabitha, but she sounded cheerful. He stepped out the door and into a monsoon. He shielded his eyes from the downpour and turned toward the voice. Tabitha was there, soaking wet, a few feet away. She had finally gotten to change clothes, from the outfit she had wore to the Bronze, to a long dress. It was impossible to tell what color the dress was because she was soaked to the bone. He watched in fascination as she seemed to dance with the rain itself. Her body swayed side to side and her arms snaked slowly through the air as she spun in wide circles. As she turned in his direction, the wind blew hard, fluttering the hem of her dress and swirling wet leaves around her bare feet. She opened her eyes smiled at him. "Spike," she called again, laughing, "where were you? The dance is almost over!" She held her hands out to him, and he accepted immediately. He took a moment to push the wet strands of hair out of her eyes, then grasped her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, ballroom style. They danced regally, stepping around the piles of leaves and sticks blown off the trees, and spinning with the raindrops. It thrilled him beyond belief to hear her laughing with him again. He spun her around, then pulled her close and dipped her far backwards, the water running over her face.   
  
He stood up straight again, wanting to see what she would do next, but she suddenly lost her balance and hit the ground. Instead of getting up, she flung herself on her back in the wet grass, giggling like a young child. Spike started to suspect that she was more than maybe a little tipsy, and he tried to help her up. She didn't seem to want him to help her to her feet, but the rain was beginning to let up and the sun was already starting to peek through the clouds.   
  
Finally he had to pick her up and carry her inside. They were both drenched, and he sat her in the chair by the door while he went to find something dry to wrap her in. He chuckled at the thought that he was used to taking care of reckless, insane women, and this should be easy.   
  
  
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Tabitha's mind was playing funny tricks on her. A minute ago she had been happier than she had been for years. She felt like she would burst if Spike had spun her around in the rain any longer.   
  
After she had carried all her things here earlier, she knew she had to eat, and began her search in the run-down houses a block away from the motel. It was a surprisingly short search. She had seen the boy through a basement window, sticking a needle in his arm, and she was happily surprised when he invited her to join him. He never knew what hit him, but she was thankful for the meal.   
  
What she wasn't prepared for was the strange cloud that hit her mind and almost knocked her over. The last time she had experienced a feeling like this, she was still human, and it was what did her in.   
  
After she left the boy's basement, she wandered around Sunnydale, and eventually found herself back outside Spike's home. After trying in vain for ten minutes to pull open the thick door, she gave up and chose to stay outside and dance with the storm.   
  
The good feelings had worn off sooner than she hoped. Now she just felt small and alone in the cold, damp room. The water that had danced with her earlier now made her shiver with cold. Her hair hung in limp strands around her face, her fingers were almost blue, and her dress stuck to her and made her feel sickly trapped.   
  
  
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Spike came back carrying a large, thick blanket, and found Tabitha attempting to peel off the wet dress that clung to her body. He stood behind her an helped her unzip the dress, and his jaw tightened as she dropped it to the floor and turned to face him. He knew better than to play along anymore, despite how angry she might become. She would get off this high eventually, and he could wait. So he wrapped the blanket around her and kissed her forehead. To his relief, she pulled the warm blanket snug around her shoulders. Spike led her to the bed, where he kneeled on the floor, stroking her wet hair, until she finally passed out. 


	6. Chapter 6

In Giles' living room, the gang sat around, sharing stories from the previous evening. They were all proud of how it had gone, and they joked and laughed, relieved that it had been so easy.   
  
Xander didn't attempt to be humble. "We kicked so much vampire booty…"   
  
Buffy smiled, listening to their stories, but deep down she knew it wasn't over. Giles had told her about the person he had seen that night in the cemetery. She hadn't told him yet, but she had seen it too, hiding behind the stage curtain, watching her during the vampire massacre at the Bronze. It made her uneasy to think about what it might have in common with the abnormal number of vampires they had seen on patrol in just the last few days.   
  
  
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It was a hot summer evening. Loud guitar music blared over loudspeakers, and people in bright-colored clothing sat in groups or alone. A few tents lined the ground here and there. Outside one of the tents, a girl danced alone, humming along with the song. She wore a bright green dress. Her straight, blonde hair reached almost down to her waist, with flowers woven in it. Tabitha. She danced in a small, lazy circle, turning slowly. Someone stepped in front of her and she blinked her eyes, trying to focus on who it was. Before she could open her mouth to speak, she was pushed to the ground. She was not angry, instead she giggled and looked up at her assailant. The person kneeled in front of her and touched their strong hand to her face. She closed her eyes and rested her palms flat on the grass. He leaned close, then bit hard on her neck. Her eyes grew wide at first, but then she looked simply confused. She gasped for air; finally she drops backwards on the grass. She lifted a weak hand up, asking for help. A woman's distant voice whispered: "Oh, can I keep her? Please?" The only response was the man's bloody wrist being brought to Tabitha's mouth. She clamped her hand around his as she drank, and struggled to keep her eyes open. The arm pulled away, and she stared up, close to unconsciousness. Kneeled above her was a longer-haired Spike, starting to look a little woozy. Drusilla stood behind him with her hand on his shoulder; smiling excitedly at Tabitha.   
  
  
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Tabitha's eyes flew open. She sat up and lifted her hand to her throbbing head. Spike was gone, and the clock on the table showed 9 p.m. She pondered how many days she had been out of it, and looked slowly around the dark, empty room.   
  
Her suitcase had been moved, and was open on the floor beside the bed. She untangled herself from the pile of blankets and leaned over to fish through her suitcase for something to wear, but then she stopped. For the first time, she realized that she was now wearing her dark blue nightgown. She tried to recall if she had put it on herself or if maybe Spike had done it for her. She couldn't remember.   
  
The door suddenly swung wide open, startling her. Spike stepped in, carrying something over his shoulder. He was pleased to see that Tabitha was finally awake. "How are you feeling, kitten?" He set down his bundle. "Hungry?" It was a young woman with bleached-looking hair. She wore a sparkly, bright red party dress. Spike walked to Tabitha and gently helped her out of bed, then led her to where the woman lay unconscious. "Do you like it?"   
  
Tabitha watched as the woman began to stir. "Where'd you find her?" She kneeled down on the floor as the woman groaned and rolled her head to the side.   
  
"She had a nasty spill down some stairs. So sad, isn't it?" Spike was disappointed that he still couldn't make Tabitha smile. "Go ahead. I already ate." Tabitha didn't answer.   
  
The woman opened her eyes and focused on Tabitha's face, which now had yellow eyes and sharp teeth. She gasped and backed against the wall. "Don't be afraid, honey," Tabitha told her sweetly, and reached out. The woman squealed and slapped Tabitha's hand away, bringing laughter from the two vampires. Tabitha swung her hand at the woman without warning, leaving four bloody scratch marks across her cheek. She proceeded in quickly drinking the woman dry, then dropping her on the hard floor.   
  
After delicately wiping her mouth, Tabitha stood up and faced Spike. Her serious expression caused him to frown. She opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it and lowered her gaze. He slowly tipped his face down to hers, their lips almost touching.   
  
Suddenly she turned her head to the side and laid her head on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, frustrated, and tangled his hands in her hair, pulling her close.   
  
  
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Buffy was patrolling alone tonight. The number of vampires she had seen on her rounds tonight had dropped significantly in comparison to the last few nights, but she had no idea why. According to the gang's research, the figure Giles had seen watching them was just an average demon, capable of some common spells, but with no apparent motive to cause any of the strange occurrences that had gone on in the past week.   
  
As she rounded a corner in the path, three vampires came at her. One kicked her in the chest, and she fell backwards.   
  
She somersaulted to her feet and staked the vampire that had knocked her over before he could react, then lowered her stake and looked around. She smoothed her hair back with her hands. "This is just…" she was interrupted by the other two vampires jumping off a small building and landing on either side of her. She punched one in the stomach and kicked the other in the face, knocking both to the ground.   
  
During all this, the cloaked demon watched her from the darkness. It glided along, following her, watching her fight.   
  
She threw one vamp on it's stomach and drove her stake into its back. The other grabbed her and flipped her over, but she jumped up immediately and landed a good kick that sent it reeling.   
  
In the darkness, the creature still stood, watching.   
  
  
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Tabitha sat half-propped up against a pile of pillows, her bare shoulder sticking out from underneath the blankets. She reached her hand up to rub her eyes, then stared to get out of the bed. Spike wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her back down, where she landed on top of him.   
  
"What are you doing?" she asked him gently. He moved his mouth down her cheek, and she closed her eyes for a moment. "I have to go, Spike!"   
  
"No, you don't," he told her, his voice muffled against her face.   
  
She smiled and let him pull her back to lean against his chest. He brushed her hair behind her shoulder, revealing a nasty-looking bite at the top of her shoulder. Her face tightened for a moment when he his fingers bumped against it slightly.   
  
"Does that hurt, love?" he smiled a little and ran his fingers over her shoulder near the wound.   
  
"It's alright," she leaned her head so her hair fell forward, but he pushed it back to look at her shoulder. He leaned close to her neck and shut his eyes for a moment. Then he pulled her back and put his mouth over the wound. Tabitha tilted her head to the side, her fingers flattened out against the sheets.   
  
Spike moved out from behind her. Tabitha leaned back, a small smile on her face as Spike held himself above her. "You can stay here just a bit longer, can't you?"   
  
She ran her hand over the back of his head and down his neck. "Like I have a choice!" She moved her fingers over his upper back, then ran her fingernails though the four deep scratches on his shoulder, causing him to wince slightly. She looked surprised. "Did I hurt you?"   
  
He chuckled. "Oh, could you again?" he whispered as he leaned down to lick the wound on her neck, which was now bleeding.   
  
  
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Back in the cemetery, the cloaked demon was satisfied with Buffy's progress. It turned away from her fight and walked through the darkness, back to it's lair, grinning in anticipation of reward for the job well done. It was surprised to suddenly find Buffy herself directly blocking it's path, and stopped short.   
  
"What do you want?" it rasped.   
  
"A vacation!" Buffy smarted. "Tell me what you're doing here."   
  
"What reason do I have to tell you by business?"   
  
She grabbed it hard by the throat. "You have no idea the week I've had. I have no problem with killing you." It gulped, but she didn't loosen her grip. "Who sent you?" she demanded coldly.   
  
  
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Tabitha lay asleep with the covers pulled up around her tightly. Spike ran his fingers along her cheekbone, then sat up and looked around carefully. His eyes went to the door, and he found his clothes dressed quickly. He walked to the door and stared at it for a moment, confusion on his face. He put his ear against the door and listened for a moment, puzzled, before pulling open the heavy door. His eyes grew wide when he saw who was standing there.   
  
"Spike," Drusilla cooed, "Spike, my sweet!" 


	7. Chapter 7

"Drusilla's back," Buffy huffed. She had rushed to find the gang and tell them the news as soon as the demon had finally told her. Now she stood in the Magic Box, breathing hard from running the whole way there. They all stared at her.   
  
"What!" Xander looked shocked. "Please tell me this is a very …unfunny joke." Buffy didn't say anything, and he shut his eyes tight.   
  
Willow stepped up to them. "So, is she who's been causing all this weird stuff?"   
  
Buffy looked at Giles. "It was that demon you saw. But he's working for Drusilla."   
  
Giles pulled off his glasses. "But, what is the purpose? What were they trying to accomplish?"   
  
"From what I could get out of him… she told him to keep us -keep me busy, so she could get to Spike." She sat down in a chair and brought her hand to her forehead.   
  
  
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Tabitha stalked through the dark cemetery. She wasn't crying, yet her eyes betrayed her pain and anger. "I should've told him," she ridiculed herself. She ran her hand roughly through her hair. "I knew I should have told him! But no- I had to wait for the right time," she stated sarcastically. She stopped walking and looked around, trying to get a grip on herself. "Why'd I let myself get so caught up in this anyway? Stupid…" she bit her lip hard. Suddenly her sadness transformed into rage. Her face shifted and she growled, but there was no one around. She saw a pillar standing next to her, and she kicked it hard, leaving a large crack. Her face changed back and she sat down hard on the ground and grabbed her foot. She cast an angry glare at the still-standing pillar, then slumped over on the ground, still holding onto her injured foot. "Ow."   
  
  
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"You crave it, Spike! Why can't you?" Drusilla was furious. They were in Angel's old mansion. Dru was holding a little boy about eight years old, and he was staring at Spike with big, frightened eyes. She stepped closer to Spike and tried to hand the boy to him. "I can feel your hunger." Spike just lowered his eyes. Drusilla, still carrying the boy, turned her back and stepped away from Spike.   
  
He was desperate. She had come back to him, after all this time, ready to try again, and he still wasn't demon enough for her. It wasn't like he'd had a choice about the chip in his head, but would Dru ever accept that explanation?   
  
Spike stepped up behind her and started to talk, but she turned around and put her finger to his lips angrily. "I found my Angel!" she informed him coldly. "And grandmother has come back, too!" She stared off past his head, still speaking, but not to him. "They must be having such a fun party…" She brought her gaze sharply back to him. "What would they think of you!" she rebuked him harshly.   
  
  
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Buffy paced back and forth through the room. "So how do we find her? Spike's not gonna let this be easy on us." Buffy shook her head angrily. "Even if he fries his brain trying." Giles stood, watching her pace, and Xander and Willow sat on the couch.   
  
Willow tried to ease her tension. "Well, we can all go." She sat forward on the edge of the couch. "You know, outnumber them?" Xander nodded thoughtfully.   
  
Buffy's eyes grew wide as she looked at the two. "No. No way. Drusilla's pretty powerful, I don't want anybody else getting hurt." They all looked uneasy, remembering how badly it went the time they tried to do the spell to restore Angel's soul.   
  
Suddenly the door banged open and they all jumped.   
  
Riley stood in the open doorway. "You'll never guess what I found," he told them, a satisfied smile on his face.   
  
  
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Angel's old mansion was dark and quiet, and moonlight shown in through the large windows, where Spike walked in the garden. He stopped short when he saw who was standing there. "Tabitha!" He looked surprised and concerned, and started to walk towards her, but when she looked up at him, he stopped where he was. If he had been alive, the look in her eyes would have made his heart skip a beat.   
  
She was leaned against one of the large arched doorways, and stared at him with wide, shiny eyes. "Spike," she barely whispered.   
  
Then she stepped forward; actually she was shoved forward- by Riley, who had a grip on her arm and had a stake positioned against her back. He had been hidden behind the stone wall of the archway the whole time. Next, Buffy stepped out from behind the wall and strode into the garden, stake in hand.   
  
Spike swallowed hard and stared at Buffy. "What are you doing?" he demanded coldly.   
  
Buffy smiled grimly, and stepped toward him. "You have a choice, Spike," she began, and looked purposely at Tabitha.   
  
"What's that," Spike retorted, "Either I can kill you, or I can kill your boy scout here instead? Cause I like that."   
  
She didn't look concerned. "Try this. You turn over Drusilla, or your girlfriend gets this lovely wooden stake driven through her heart personally by me."   
  
She watched Spike for his reaction, but he wasn't looking at her. He stared at Tabitha, his eyes filled with confusion and pain. His jaw tightened for a moment, then he shifted his gaze to the floor. "I can't," he began.   
  
Buffy didn't wait for the rest. "Fine then," she raised her stake. Spike panicked and dashed forward to stop her, but they were distracted by a loud crash. Chucks of clay and dirt fell around Riley's head, then he dropped to his hands and knees on the ground, releasing Tabitha. Behind him stood Drusilla, holding the remains of a clay flower pot, smiling sweetly.   
  
Buffy ran up to attack Dru. Tabitha reacted and kicked Buffy hard in the back, knocking her to the ground beside Riley. Drusilla whirled around the fallen two. Buffy stood and faced her opponents. The three vampires stood side by side, game faces on, ready to attack.   
  
Buffy's eyes grew cold, and drew herself up. Behind her, she heard Riley's semi-conscious groan, and she faltered. Hesitating, she glanced over her shoulder at him. She whipped out a large wooden cross and held it at the three vampires, and slowly backed up towards Riley and pulled him to his feet. A trickle of blood ran down his forehead, but she managed to get her arm around him and lead him away, meanwhile holding off the three with her cross. 


	8. Chapter 8

When Buffy and Riley were out of sight, the three vampires let their faces shift back to normal. Drusilla turned to face Tabitha, and suddenly a wide smile appeared on her pale face. "Wildflower!" she smiled at Tabitha, and hummed to herself happily. Spike stared, but Drusilla didn't notice. "Where have you been, little one?" she scolded softly, "mummy's been very worried for you! Bad manners to run away." She turned to Spike and ran her fingertips over his chest. "You left her, but my little Wildflower returned to us," she told him, as she placed her palm flat on his chest, "to you," she corrected. Suddenly she yanked her hand back as if she had been burnt. "Because of me!" Her hands shook and she began to whimper.   
  
"Dru-" Spike reached out instinctively to comfort her, but she backed away.   
  
When she began to speak again her voice shook and her eyes were wide and pleading. "Our family… I wished you to come back, so it could be as it was!" Spike stared silently at the two women before him. Drusilla watched him, her lip quivering like a little girl. Tabitha hadn't moved from her spot, but she stared hard at Spike's face, trying to read something through all the confusion in his eyes.   
  
Drusilla approached Tabitha and held the girl's face in her hands. Spike tensed up, not sure of what Dru was up to, until she leaned back and looked over her shoulder at him. "She needs you," she informed him. She pulled a confused Tabitha to her and stroked the girl's hair, staring off into space. "Daddy's all she's allowed, anymore," she said to no one in particular.   
  
Suddenly she grabbed Tabitha by the neck and threw her at Spike. "You have her, Spike!" she shouted as he caught Tabitha and helped her to her feet. "If she wants someone who calls himself a demon, but can't even hurt a child!" The sting of that last insult was obvious in Spike's eyes.   
  
  
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Xander paced nervously through the room. Giles sat on a stool, fiddling with his glasses, and Willow sat cross-legged on the couch, wringing her hands nervously and biting her lip. The door banged open again, and Willow and Giles stood up. Buffy dragged Riley in and they all helped her sit him up on the couch.   
  
"Good Lord, Buffy," Giles looked at her, "what happened out there?"   
  
She looked annoyed for a moment. "Surprise attack." She looked back at Riley, concerned, as they all stared at her, shocked.   
  
Willow looked up from where he was gently examining the back of Riley's head. "He might have a concussion," she sounded worried and a bit surprised. "What did he get hit with?"   
  
Buffy sighed and sat down on the floor in front of the couch. "A really crappy plan."   
  
  
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Spike and Tabitha both stood where Drusilla had left them when she stalked angrily off. After a long moment, Tabitha scrunched her eyebrows together and turned to Spike. "You knew!" she accused him.   
  
He turned to her, confused. "Pardon?"   
  
"Remember the other day, when I was…" Spike raised his eyebrows at her. She went on, "…I dreamed about …the day I died. I saw everything that happened. I remember now. I remember you." She paused. "I remember her, too," Tabitha gazed in the direction Drusilla had gone, "however she said it!" she chuckled, then her face grew serious again. "She remembers me." Spike still didn't say anything. "You're my sire." Tabitha hesitated, still not used to that concept. "Why didn't you just tell me?"   
  
It was a moment before he spoke. "I didn't know." Tabitha glared at him, disbelieving.   
  
  
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People wandered about the grass, some talking, some just standing around. The sun had just set over the large field, but the music still played in the background. It was New York, 1969 -Woodstock.   
  
Drusilla looked around in awe at everyone milling around. She began to sway a little with the music, her eyes sparkling with the lights from the stage, her bright yellow dress twirling slightly. Spike stepped up behind her and put his arms around her waist. She sighed happily. "Spike, look at this whole meadow! All full of wildflowers… will you pick me some, Spike? Hmm?"   
  
He gazed at her a moment, then grinned. "Whatever ones you want."   
  
Drusilla clapped her hands happily. "We'll gather a whole bouquet!" She glanced over the crowd, her mouth slightly open. Then she spotted a girl in a green dress dancing alone by a cluster of tents. "Oooh, Spike, there," Drusilla focused in on the girl.   
  
Spike followed her gaze, curious.   
  
As they neared the girl, Drusilla got excited. "She's quite a pretty little wildflower," she rambled on.   
  
Spike's stomach rumbled, and he almost wished Dru had picked somebody bigger for their first meal of the night. He watched as the girl danced slowly to the music, turning slowly until she faced them. Her eyes looked a little glazed, and it took her a moment to notice Spike standing there. Drusilla squeezed her fingers into Spike's shoulder eagerly, and he reached out and shoved the girl hard. She fell on her back. He felt his face vamp out, and waited for her to look up at him. When she raised her eyes, he did not see fright, or apprehension- she smiled at him, and giggled. Intrigued, he kneeled on the ground in front of her and touched her face. Her eyes closed, he could feel her pulse quicken, but not from fear. He bent his head to her neck, and drank slowly. She flinched at first, but did not resist. Instead of draining her, he let her fall back on the grass.   
  
Drusilla stepped up behind him. "Oh, can I keep her?" He looked at the girl thoughtfully. "Please?" Dru insisted.   
  
He brought his wrist to his sharp teeth and bit just hard enough to draw blood. He leaned over the girl and brought his wrist to her lips. She clutched on to his arm as she drank, and he closed his eyes. He could hear the girl's pulse beginning to slow.   
  
  
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The sun was beginning to rise far on the other side of the field. Drusilla had pulled the unconscious girl into one of the nearby tents early in the evening. She sat on the ground; the girl lay next to her on the grass. Spike had passed out just outside the tent. Drusilla stroked the girl's head. She had taken time to braid a few more flowers into the girl's hair during the night.   
  
The flap of the tent pulled back and Drusilla looked up to see a man with short, frizzy hair and blurry eyes look in at them. She smiled at him, then reached down and stroked the girl's forehead. "She's looking, climbing," Dru informed the man, as the girl began to stir. She raised her head again, and looked at the man with her yellow eyes, "she's coming to play with us." His eyes grew wide and he hurriedly turned away, as Drusilla leapt up after him.   
  
After Dru caught the man and drained him, she stood up to find Spike. He was sitting up, holding his head. The first thing he noticed was the sunbeams coming across the field. He stood up and grabbed Drusilla's arm. "Sorry baby, we gotta go."   
  
She tried to pull away, but he was stronger, and he dragged her away from where the sun was peeking over the side of the hill. They soon found themselves in a large muddy parking lot. Spike hurried down a row, pulling on the door handles. Finally, he yanked open the door of a shiny black Desoto at the very end of the line. He pushed Drusilla into the passenger seat, then got in and slammed the door.   
  
As they drove away, she slapped him hard. "You left my Wildflower!" she accused. He stared at her, but she turned her face away, and pouted for the rest of the drive.   
  
  
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Buffy walked down the sidewalk outside a cemetery, lost in thought. She rounded a corner and bumped into a tall man. "Oh, sorry," she began, then froze. It was Angel. She blinked a few times, and swallowed hard. "Wh- what are you doing here?" she whispered.   
  
He didn't answer, just gazed at her softly. She took a step toward him, cautiously. Their eyes locked. He slowly reached out and touched her face. "Buffy."   
  
They drew nearer to each other, their eyes closed, and finally, their lips met in a long, soft kiss. He stroked the side of her face, and they seemed to melt into each other. She ended the kiss first, but they kept their eyes closed, their faces close together. She opened her mouth. "I love you."   
  
  
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Buffy's eyes flew open and she gasped for air. She glanced around, realizing where she was, and sat up. Riley lay on his back in the bed, still sleeping, with the covers tucked up around him. His head was wrapped in white gauze. She tilted her head to the side, and stared at him. Finally she lay back down again on top of the sheets, facing toward Riley. She lowered her eyes and fiddled with the edge of the pillow, as a thousand emotions passed through her eyes.   
  
  
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-THE END- 


End file.
